On a Wing and a Prayer
by Ebony McCloud
Summary: Waking up with no memories was one thing. Waking up with no memories alongside a perpetually upset Rito woman was another thing entirely.
1. Chapter 1

A single, emerald eye opened slowly, looking around blearily. It took in deep blue hues on a black background. With nothing else to see, it closed back up as its owner nuzzled deeper into her bed while covering her head with a wing. Even though there had been a voice commanding her to wake up, she saw no problem with another five minutes or so. Pushing through her exhaustion to open a single eye had been a monumental task. Not only that but whatever she was lying on was soft and warm.

She had no intention of getting up unless people were dying, the world was ending, or there was some other dire need for her to get moving.

Despite her internal declaration, she stretched with a wide yawn. As she did so, her head fell off the surface that had been supporting it. She huffed in irritation as she moved her head around, trying to find a place for the appendage without moving too much. After a second or two of exploration, she blindly found the edge again, however, she wasn't able to relax. For whatever reason, the object she was laying on had hardened. She shifted herself again, causing her head to bump into something in the process.

She froze. Though it had been for the briefest moment, she could have sworn that she heard a grunt. Raising a hand, she gingerly poked around with the tips of her fingers. Her heart stopped for a moment as her fingers trailed across what felt like a pair of eyes, a nose, and mouth just above her head. She had somehow fallen asleep atop someone else and nestled her head between the person's head and shoulder.

Her eyes snapped open as she pushed herself up quickly. Springing up to her feet, she nearly fell backward if he hadn't lunged towards her and caught her wing.

Both froze as they finally took a look at the other. Unlike her, the young man that had caught her wasn't covered in feathers and had neither beak nor wings. The only remarkable qualities he had were his bright blue eyes and bright golden hair.

As her eyes traveled downwards, she saw something that caused her to become flustered. The young man was naked save for his smallclothes. It took her a second to realize that she was in a similar state of undress. Unlike her, his eyes hadn't traveled from her face, but from his angle, they wouldn't have needed to.

"Pervert!" she squawked as she brought her free wing up and slapped him. She caught him by surprise, causing him to let go of her as he recoiled defensively. Instantly regretting her decision, the young woman fell back and cracked her skull against the floor. She curled up, cradling her aching head in her wings as she tried to cover herself at the same time.

"You okay?" The question was quiet and toneless, as though the inquirer wasn't actually concerned about the state of her well-being.

She peeked through her feathers to find him kneeling above her. Reacting quickly, she rolled away and climbed to her feet, still using her large wings to cover herself up and retain at least some modesty. To her ire, the young man in front of her had neither the decency to spare an apologetic glance or be the least bit abashed by his own near nakedness.

As though reading her thoughts, he turned away slightly so that he could only see her out of the corner of his eye. "Are you okay?" he asked again.

"What's it to you?" she spat.

He didn't say anything in reply.

"… I'm fine," she finally growled. Her head still hurt, but there was nothing he could do about that. Even if there were something he could do, she didn't want him anywhere near her.

He nodded before turning away entirely. She felt her beak tighten as he walked away. He had somehow pulled a woman on top of him in her sleep, let her fall and hurt her head when she tried to get away and then proceeded to ask if she was all right. Hadn't asked her name, if she was really okay, and worst of all, he hadn't even apologized for anything.

Suppressing her frustrations, for the time being, she turned her attention to trying to find a way out of the situation she was in.

The chamber was round, with a single black wall wrapping around them. Scrawled across its surface were symbols that shown with a soft blue light. Approaching a group of them, she tried to read them as best she could. No matter how she cocked her head though, there was nothing she could glean from them.

"Over here."

She glanced over at the only other person in the room. He was standing next to a pedestal that she could just barely out in the dim lighting.

"What?" she asked from a distance, refusing to get any closer to him than absolutely necessary.

"I found something," he replied, sounding unconcerned about their situation.

" _Really_?" she asked sarcastically. " _I wouldn't have guessed."_

He said nothing as he reached out and took hold of something she could just barely see.

"What is it?"

" _That is a Sheikah Slate. It will help you on your journey."_

She stiffened as she recognized the voice, looking around the speaker. The voice that was now telling her that she was the light of Hyrule was the same voice that had woken her up to begin with. In her discovery that she wasn't alone and her subsequent embarrassment, she had forgotten about the feminine voice.

She wondered briefly if she was going crazy as there was no one else in the room except the young man.

On a whim, she searched every recess of her mind, trying to determine whether or not she knew the voice. Try as she might, she couldn't find anything to that helped her identify the voice. Even more concerningly, she couldn't find anything of much use. Not only was she unaware of how she had gotten there, but she had no memories before her awakening at all.

She suddenly felt very small as it occurred to her that she had no idea how much she had lost. It was a terrifying thought, only mildly alleviated when she thought that maybe the person she had woken up with might have some idea of who she was. If he was experiencing the same phenomenon as her, then maybe he was tied to her some fashion.

She would have to find out whether or not he could remember anything.

"There's a way out."

Her eyes snapped back toward him. Just behind him, she could barely make out an opening that hadn't been there before. She made her way over to him with a measured pace. She didn't want him to think she felt vulnerable because she was moving too fast, but she really did want to leave this place behind.

Just before he reached him, he spun on his heel and stepped through the doorway. At least he knew that she did not want him behind her.

She entered the next chamber, still using her wings to preserve what little modesty she had left.

"I think those are yours," her companion muttered, pointing to a small chest across from the one he was kneeling in front of. Before she had the chance to make a snarky comment, he straightened up, holding a few folded items in his hands. He walked towards the other end of the chamber and set them on the floor. Taking the top item, he stood back up and unfolded it.

Seeing the shape was the only prompting she needed to hurriedly fling her own chest open and remove its contents.

* * *

He reflected briefly on everything he knew so far. A voice had woken him up and called him Link, he had no idea who he was or why he was here, and, to top it all off, he was in the company of a bird-woman who wanted nothing to do with him.

Yes, that summed it all up nicely as far as he was concerned.

His ears twitched slightly as he listened to his companion grumble about the state of her outfit. He remained facing the other direction, figuring that it would make his life infinitely easier to wait until she gave him some signal that she was fully clothed rather than making an assumption.

As he waited, he unfastened the Sheikah Slate from its place on his hip and held it up in front of him. One side was jet black and smooth while the other was covered by a single eye with a teardrop. Just above it was three triangles that formed its eyebrow.

"Is that the Slate thing she was talking about?"

He nodded as he handed to her.

She stared at the foreign object in her feathered hands for a moment before she dropped it back in his hands. "What makes you think I want that?"

He gasped as he caught the object. Based solely on what he could see of it, he had no doubts that it at least had some durability to it. That didn't mean he was willing to test it right then and there.

"Oh, stop with the drama," she said as she stepped past him.

He found the comment ironic considering her first action was to huddle up on him and then proceed to shout pervert. He kept his thoughts on that particular matter to himself though considering how volatile she'd been thus far.

Really, he couldn't blame her for being so defensive. He had woken up with no idea who he was outside of a name that an apparently bodiless voice had given him with a nearly naked woman lying atop him. Under the circumstances, a little bit of skepticism wasn't the worst thing.

"Hey, you!" she snapped, pulling him out of his reverie. "Will you get over here and do something about this door!"

He sighed. A little bit of civility wouldn't be the worst thing either. Considering the fact that he had gone out of his way to help her feel a little more comfortable by making it a point to not look at her, he didn't feel that asking her to be a little more polite was too large a request.

Sending a brief glance around, he found a pedestal that was similar to the one he had found in the previous room. The only major difference was that the symbols that covered it were orange instead of blue; however, no sooner had he set the Slate on it, the orange was replaced by a blue. There was a sharp click just before he heard a mechanism grinding against itself.

As the door slid aside, bright golden rays invaded the room, forcing Link to cover his eyes as he rejoined his companion. He blinked a few times, shaking his head as though the action would help his eyes adjust to the harsh light. Once his eyes had suitably acclimated, he looked at the young woman beside him.

The young woman standing beside was a strange creature indeed. She was covered in feathers that came in a variety of blues, except for her feet, and where her cheekbones would be, which had small red spots. He supposed that his opinion of what looked normal was skewed and that, from her perspective, he looked like an oddball himself.

She was staring through the tunnel in front of them before her closest eye flicked towards him.

"What are you looking at?" Her beak, which was slightly rounded on top, had an almost soft appearance. It almost surprised him that it was capable of making such biting remarks.

"Link," he said, completely ignoring the question she had just posed.

"What?"

"My name is Link."

She blinked at him for a few seconds before letting out a deep breath. "Revili," she sighed.

He nodded, not breaking his gaze.

"What are you waiting for, an invitation? Get moving!"

Link sighed as he turned back to the tunnel and made his way into the light. No matter what the voice had meant when she claimed that there was a journey ahead, it was bound to be a tiring one.

* * *

 **A/N: I don't know anymore...**


	2. Chapter 2

"What is that thing?"

"A fox."

" _I wouldn't have guessed,"_ Revili replied in the most derisive tone she could muster. She could not think of a dinforsaken reason that Link would bring a fox back to their camp, but he had just marched back in carrying the blasted creature. As soon as he had made it to the edge, he knelt down and set the stupid beast on the ground. "Let me rephrase the question: why did you bring it here?"

"It's injured," he replied as he took two sticks that he had been carrying as well and set them against one of the fox's heels. He reached into the pouch on his waist, which had somehow been magically augmented to have a greater capacity than should have been possible, and pulled out some of the wrappings he had prepared previously. He gently but firmly began to bind the sticks and appendage together, making a shoddy but serviceable splint.

"And how is that our problem?"

The Hylian made no attempt to answer her. Instead, he continued tending to the blasted creature.

Revili threw her head back and groaned. Over the course of a few days she had woken up with no memories, been forced to traipse around the Great Plateau on the whims of a likely senile old man, had far too many conversations with a clueless Hylian, and now, apparently, she was going to have to put up with a wild animal.

This wasn't the first time the Rito archer had considered leaving him and the whole mess they were in behind. Unfortunately, things just weren't that simple. For starters, it sounded like the fate of the world was at stake, and she had a part to play in saving it. While that was all well and good, she wished the so-called "chosen hero" was someone a bit more… well, _more_. Link was good as far as she had seen, but she didn't think he was that good. Definitely not worthy of the title legendary hero. Especially with his disappointing lack of mastery when it came to archery. Without someone there to hold his hand, there was a good chance he would fail, which would spell the end of the world.

It would be next to impossible to enjoy the world if it was burning to the ground.

There was another, much deeper problem that she plagued her. One that she tried desperately to refrain from acknowledging. The truth was, the idea of exploring a world she couldn't remember terrified her, and the idea of doing it alone was almost petrifying. She had only the vaguest idea of where to go, what she was supposed to do, and virtually no idea who she really was.

She was forced to rely on a blank map in the Slate to be her guide in an alien world she was supposed to save. Not only that but if what King Rhoam had stated was true, it had been a century since they last walked the land. Things had undoubtedly changed, making her wonder if there was any point in trying to remember her past.

While she didn't like Link very much, his continued presence meant she wasn't entirely alone. She didn't trust him enough to talk to him about anything that went on in her head, but he might be a constant on the road ahead. An annoying constant, but considering everything that she had learned, some sort of consistency might be the only thing that kept her sane, even if that consisted of someone like Link.

It wasn't like there weren't some qualities to appreciate in her companion. When he wasn't busy being a creep and staring at her with an unreadable expression, he was busy being remarkably self-sufficient. While she had her doubts about whether or not he could live up to the title of hero, she had no doubts that he would survive on his own in the wilds. Not only had he been adept at solving the puzzles put before them, both man-made and natural, he had also proven to be remarkably resourceful. The Rito didn't feel the need to babysit him all that much as he was, for the most part, capable. There were one or two moments when she had been forced to step in and get him out of a dangerous situation, but by and large, he seemed content to leave her be.

He was also an exceptionally good cook. He didn't need to know that of course, but it didn't make it any less true.

Revili supposed that if she were going to stick with him, she would have to take the good along with the bad, which meant more staring and now a fox.

"I'm not taking care of that thing," she announced from her place across the camp.

Again, Link didn't respond. In fact, he very rarely responded to the things she said. Sometimes that irritated her, at other times she didn't mind it terribly much as it made it easier for her to ignore him.

When the Hylian was finished tending to his new pet's injury, he moved to the fire and silently prepared dinner. He chopped various fruits and vegetables and tossed them into his beloved cooking pot. How he managed to make exceptional meals out of such mundane ingredients was beyond her. When he finished, he doled out portions for both of them, delivering one to her before taking his portion back to his end of the camp.

They ate in silence. There were plenty of things to talk about, but she wasn't interested in talking with him. Generally, conversations with him were like trying to preen herself: a long dull process that required far too much effort on her part. The only difference was that she felt nice and clean after a good preening. Conversations with Link left her exhausted and frustrated to the extreme.

Whenever she tried to converse with him, he would answer with the least amount of words required, which then forced her to pull an explanation out of him. His refusal to say what was on his mind made any attempt at talking with him frustrating and unfulfilling.

She sighed quietly as she finished her meal and lay down. As she waited for sleep to come, she stared up at the night sky, wishing that there was someone she could talk to. Unfortunately, it seemed that such a person wouldn't present themselves, at least for a while. The discontented Rito turned on her side, facing away from Link and his pet as sleep finally found her.

* * *

The Hylian Champion kept his gaze skyward bound as he walked the path. That morning, Revili had offered, in her own condescending way, to fly the Slate to various nearby towers. Doing so would fill in more of the largely blank map and allow them to have a fairly good idea of where they were actually going. It was an unexpected gesture that he had greatly appreciated. He had even done his best to vocalize his gratitude and while Revili had replied with the grumblings he was used to, her tone was significantly less sour. It wasn't much in the way of progress, but he would take it.

Link looked down as Fox poked his head out of the sling that was tied around the Hylian's torso. Under different circumstances, he might have left the animal behind with enough food to last it a few weeks while it recovered, however, the circumstances he found himself in were far from normal. He was on some grand quest in the company of a Rito who abhorred him. He figured he could use one more companion. One that didn't consistently express dissatisfaction with him.

He was never sure how exactly he was supposed to interact with Revili. She would ask him a question and then proceed to interrupt him in the middle of his answer. Then, after he shut his mouth, she would demand answers to his "purposefully vague responses." As a result, he had taken to replying with as few words as possible, sometimes resorting to nods, shrugs, or other forms of body language. He then waited to see if she would question him further. When she didn't, he assumed she had already come up with some answer on her own, rendering anything else he could say meaningless. When she did continue her questioning, he tried to keep his responses short and succinct. Overly long explanations tended to bore her which led to her repeating her question again. It was an oddly contradictory behavior, and that was just the tip of the iceberg.

If he made the mistake of letting his gaze linger on her for a little too long, she would snap at him and then begin ranting about how she didn't care whether or not he thought she looked funny as she would begin to preen herself. Adding on the excessive preening she performed each morning, it was an oddity that he didn't know what to do with.

Revili would complain about the food he made, yet he wasn't the only one that would help himself to more. She would constantly harp about his plans but would then grudgingly agree with him even though he gave her opportunities to make her own suggestions. She complained about how much hand-holding he required, yet she would leave him alone for hours on end.

Her paradoxical attitudes didn't stop with minor quirks though. She boasted about her both her mastery of the skies and her abilities with her bow, but something about it was off. It was almost like she was trying to convince herself as much as she was trying to convince him. It certainly didn't help that she also felt the need to point out his own limitations. It was like all of her boasting was a vain attempt to make herself feel adequate.

He didn't particularly blame her for that.

Link had spent a great deal of time on the Plateau testing his limits. While he hadn't been able to push himself to his maximum potential, he had a pretty good idea of his current capabilities. This knowledge came with the added benefit of an awareness of his own weakness. He was more than capable in close quarter combat, even if he lacked the strength and stamina he must have had before he was locked away. Unfortunately, his mid to long-range prowess was mediocre at best. It took him several vital seconds to draw his bow and line up his shot, and even if he had all the time he needed, he missed his target as often as he struck.

Having a companion who was at least equally as capable but with a different skill set couldn't hurt in the slightest. Revili was able to draw her weapon and fire in a fraction of the time that it took him. Her accuracy made her even more deadly. In fact, he had yet to see her miss a single target. All of that, combined with her superior mobility and maneuverability gave her boasts significant credibility. Her only real weaknesses were a flimsy bow and no real experience in close-combat.

Speaking purely in terms of specialties, they complimented each other nicely. Unfortunately, that didn't translate to the other aspects of their relationship. If they were going to make their partnership work, it would require them to work at compatibility.

"What do you think?" he asked quietly as he ran a hand along Fox's head. He was well aware that his companion didn't understand a word he said and that, even if he could understand, there was no counsel he could offer. No, his only reason was that he knew he needed someone to talk to in order to remain sane. Fox couldn't provide for all of his emotional needs, but Link could at least pretend he was listening. It was better than nothing.

The more he thought about it, the more he came to question what was really going on in Revili's head. If she really disliked him as much as she claimed, then why had she decided to stay? There were likely a number of ways to work towards the same goal without having to involve herself with him. She was clearly intelligent and had likely reached the same conclusion long before he had. So, why stay?

He sighed as he realized the only way he was going to find out was by talking to her. If he was successful, then maybe they could be more civil. It was a longshot though, seeing as none of their previous conversations had been anywhere near meaningful.

All he could do was try and hope for the best.

* * *

 **A/N: I promise that I'm getting back to CoaFA. Chapter 39 is about halfway done.**

 **As for this... experiment, I have decided that I am going to continue it. If I can write a successful story in this format, then that will help in an alternate universe (let's call it the Smash universe) as I can introduce more characters without writing novel-length fics for each one. This is a very long-winded way of saying that this has a purpose.**

 **I'll shut up now.**


	3. Chapter 3

Link had assumed that it would take Revili a day or two at least to finish her trip to the various towers, but he couldn't help but be annoyed as the days past and she failed to return. It all came bubbling towards the surface when he looked up and finally spotted her, however, it was accompanied by a significant amount of relief. With effort, he was able to subdue annoyance and simply appreciate the fact that his fellow Champion had returned. He knew deep down that it wasn't fair to be upset with her when she had no way of keeping in contact with him. Besides, she had offered to perform the menial task. Perhaps it was to get away from him for a while, but that didn't mean that's what he had to believe. He wanted to believe that she was, in fact, a good person who genuinely wanted to do her part. She didn't always make it an easy thing to believe, but he remained steadfast in his thinking.

If nothing else, having someone believe in her might be what she needed to let her guard down, at least a little.

As was typical, her face was set with a hard edge, making it impossible for him to determine whether or not she was irritated.

She landed in front of him, giving him a once-over before she rolled her eyes. "You're wearing that thing now?" she asked as she gestured to Fox. Not giving him a chance to answer, she casually tossed the Slate towards him before turning around and continuing onwards. "As you can see, we actually have a map now. I'd like to see you do something so impressive in the same amount of time," she called snidely over her shoulder.

Link sighed quietly as he held the Slate up. While he was impressed that she had managed to fill out close to a quarter of the map in a few short days, he was still mildly disappointed. He had hoped that a solo foray would help curb whatever desire she had to belittle him.

Apparently, nothing had changed.

He wasn't really surprised. He knew it had been an overly optimistic hope, but he figured that hoping for the best was better than relying on the worst. If she was going to be unpleasant, he wanted to make sure that it wasn't because of anything that he was doing. He wasn't sure if it was altruism or self-righteousness. Maybe it was even both. All he really knew was that he didn't want to be the reason that someone felt the need to be harsh.

Of course, a part of trying to help meant at least making the effort to talk to her. While he had decided that he would make more of an effort to converse with her, he still hesitated. It wasn't a matter of being intimidated, but more a matter of trying to decide whether or not he wanted to invite more of her vitriol to himself. Just the idea of trying to endure more of her comments was exhausting, and he was under the impression that he had only scratched the surface regarding her verbal barbs. He wasn't sure he wanted to find out just how creative she could be.

He shook his head, dispelling his negative thoughts. They would only hold him back.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

"What?" The conversation had barely started, and she already sounded like she wanted to be done with it.

"Is something wrong, or –"

"Let's get something straight," she said as she stopped and finally faced him. "We aren't friends," she continued as she took a step towards him. "The only reason we're traveling together is because Hyrule needs us." Another step. "Once all is said and done, we'll be going our separate ways. We are never going to sit around, preening each other while we talk about our feelings." She took another step, jutting her face into his own. "Do you understand?"

He nodded curtly.

"Good." She spun around sharply and left him standing there.

While he had just begun trying, he figured it was better to not press more than necessary. Instead, he would remain persistent while trying to respect her boundaries at the same time. It was in many ways like a war plan. He would slowly chip away at her defenses until all Revili could do was surrender. Maybe then they could become the team they needed to be. It would be a long slow process, but that was okay. He could play the long game.

He let a sizable distance grow between them before he started following. He used the pervasive silence to decide how best he was going to proceed. As he focused on many of the issues they faced when it came to communication, and it occurred to him that one of the worst offenders was space, and it was a problem he readily admitted he had a hand in. His demands for space were quiet compared to hers, but he had demanded far more than he needed. He decided that would be the first issue to deal with.

He had considered attacking the dilemma on multiple fronts, but then he remembered that the war analogy could only go so far. In battle, overwhelming the opponent usually led to victory. Revili wasn't an opponent, she was an ally, even if an unwilling one. Overwhelming her would only turn her against him more than she already was, and that would have its own disastrous consequences. So, he would quietly deal with one problem at a time, starting with space. If he could subtlely close the gap, then he could move onto the next, and then the next.

It wasn't a perfect plan, and he would likely have to adapt as time and circumstances required, but he had a plan, and that helped to motivate him.

He'd failed the first time, but he could always try again.

"What are you looking so happy about?"

He sighed as he returned his face to its typical display of stoicism. Apparently, his show of concern had really irked her.

* * *

"What are you looking at?"

Fox lowered his head, staring up at her meekly. Link had gone hunting and gathering and opted to leave his pet there, much to her annoyance.

"You're almost as bad as he is," Revili grumbled. "What?" she asked as Fox started whining. Sighing dramatically, she crossed the camp so that she was standing right over him. "What?"

The animal responded by drawing further into himself as his whine grew louder.

"Oh, for heaven's-" she took a deep breath, trying to not lose patience with the animal as she looked around for something to quiet it down. She spotted a nearby bush that was covered in berries. Shaking her head in annoyance, she collected some and returned to the fox's side. "Here," she grunted as she held the berries out to the animal.

Fox hesitantly poked at them with his nose before gingerly taking a few. Revili rolled her eyes as she set the rest in a pile in front of him. Even though she had finally succeeded in getting the fox to quiet down, she remained standing above him, watching as he continued eating.

"I suppose none of this is really your fault, huh." She didn't remember sitting down next to him, and she wasn't sure how her hand ended up running along the animals back, but that's where she found herself a few moments later. "I guess you aren't the worst."

Revili continued sitting next to Fox even after he finished eating. It was nice to actually connect with someone, even if it was a tiny moment with an undomesticated animal. She found it oddly cathartic, far more than the last few days.

While she loved flying immeasurably, it had only been a temporary fix. Eventually, her fears and stressors came back, just as menacing as they had been before. But sitting there, with a companion who was content to eat a handful of berries.

"I don't hate him," she muttered quietly, as though Fox would understand a word she said. "He's just… Hmph. He's just…" She wasn't sure what exactly she was trying to say, only that she was extraordinarily frustrated with the Hylian. "Why can't he just say what he's thinking?!" she finally snapped, causing the fox beside her to jump. "Sorry," she grumbled.

She could never feel at ease around Link. He always had the blankest look on his face, like there was absolutely nothing between his ears, yet whenever he looked at her, she couldn't help but feel that he was silently sizing her up. It was like constantly being dissected by judgmental blue eyes and she hated every minute of it. Maybe it would be more tolerable if he would tell her what he was thinking, but he insisted on playing whatever cards he had close to his chest.

That was assuming he wasn't a machine of course.

"Is it really that hard to just come out and say it?"

And then there was the conversation earlier.

He had refused to say more than a sentence to her at a time had all the sudden expressed concern in her. To make matters even worse, she couldn't find a possible reason for him to suddenly worry about her. It couldn't possibly be because he thought it would help them defeat Ganon. They only needed to be capable of fighting side by side and, as she had been able to gather, they were both competent enough to at least stand a chance. They hadn't really tested their teamwork on the battlefield yet, but she assumed that, so long as Link wasn't trying to steal the show, they would make a passable team. That was all that really mattered. As for anything relating to personal relationships, that was all irrelevant in her opinion. What did it matter if they got along?

Revili snapped back to reality as she heard a nearby twig snap. She sprang to her feet and dashed back to her side of the camp, managing to get herself situated before Link stepped back into the clearing. The Hylian Champion didn't even spare her a glance as he stopped to check on Fox before attending the fire.

She sneered internally as she considered how quickly he could change his tune. He had gone from openly ignoring her, to pretending to care, back to blatant disregard. If she had believed there was any sincerity in his question earlier, that was enough to convince her there hadn't been.

Looking back towards the Dueling Peaks, Revili measured how much distance was left between them and their eventual destination. Based on Link's traveling speed, which was faster than she had expected, it would take them another day or two to reach the mountain. From there it would take them two more days at least to reach Kakariko. After that, it would be however many weeks or months it took them to complete their preparations to fight Ganon. Then, she could finally be done with him.

It couldn't come soon enough.

* * *

 **A/N: Happy Thanksgiving!**


	4. Chapter 4

Link had taken a significant amount of their time traveling to develop a plan thathe hoped would help him and Revili start talking. Most of those plans were forgotten not long after they had finally arrived in Kakariko. Upon entering the village, they had been recognized or rather, the Slate they were carrying had been recognized, and they were immediately ushered into Impa's home. The Sheikah Elder had then taken it upon herself to educate them in Ganon's history, which coincided with the Royal Family's own past. After she finished telling them the history of the Hyrule family and the Calamity that plagued them, she then did her best to remind them of their fallen comrades: The Champions Daruk, Urbosa, and Mipha. While all the names struck a chord, one struck a very different chord.

Mipha.

The only thing Link really knew of Vah Ruta's pilot was that she was the Princess of the Zora people, and he only knew that because Impa had informed them of that particular detail. Despite his lack of knowledge regarding the Zora Champion, her name had meant something when he heard it.

Something important.

The only explanation was that he had somehow known her. He had felt his heart warm at the sound of the name and had discovered a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He had wiped it away quickly, but the warmth remained. Unfortunately, it was slowly joined by an intense dread. If she had disappeared in the Great Calamity, then she was likely dead, and he found that he was uncomfortable with the idea.

He opted not to think about it until he absolutely had to.

Link chose to focus on the more prevalent problem instead, which was the mission that Zelda had left them. Not only were they to defeat Ganon, but they were also to reclaim the Divine Beasts. In reality, there was probably nothing stopping the two from charging straight for Hyrule Castle, but he was unwilling to do something so brash, and he was certain Revili would agree.

If they had failed the first time when they were far stronger, than they would need every tool at their disposal.

He pulled the Slate out and checked the four markers that Impa had placed on the Map. Of course, as his luck would have it, each marker occupied its own corner of the map. They would have travel across the entirety of Hyrule, which would likely take months. He didn't know how long Zelda would be able to hold out, but he had a feeling they would be cutting it close.

Link's eyes trailed back up to the marker that sat in the upper left corner of the Slate's face as something odd finally occurred to him.

His luck made up for its failure in distance by making Revili far more agreeable than she normally was. While she had expressed a bit of discontent with the idea of heading to Zora's Domain first, her protests were short-lived and lacked any real force. Ordinarily, he would have assumed that she would want to return to her own homeland first, yet she hadn't taken the opportunity to argue her case. Rather, she had "resigned herself" to heading to Zora's Domain, which was the closest of the four locales they would have to visit.

The Hylian Champion frowned as he began petting Fox, who was sitting next to him on the bed. The more he thought about it, the more troubled he became. Not only had she not put up a fight as she usually would have, but she had been unusually subdued on the walk back to the inn. While silence was nothing new, subdued was.

He still couldn't claim to know her well, but he was certain that something was really wrong.

He sighed as he leaned back, suddenly feeling rather guilty. He had been so preoccupied with his own thoughts that he had completely missed that fact that Revili had needed a friend. He knew she didn't consider him to be one, but that didn't mean he couldn't act like one. As he saw it, he needed to prove himself to be a friend before he could actually be one.

And he had failed.

He considered the options left to him. By this time, it was unlikely she would be willing to talk with him. She might even be looking for a reason to be offended. No, he couldn't up and ask her about it.

At the same time, he didn't want to leave it. He couldn't say he thought of her as a friend, nor could he say that he even liked her very much, but he still hated the idea of letting someone suffer alone.

The hand that had been running along Fox's back froze as an idea slowly took shape in his mind. Maybe he and Revili weren't ready or willing to discuss such things, but he wasn't her only companion.

A few days prior, he had been returning to camp when he had noticed that Revili had been sitting next to Fox, talking to the animal about something. He wasn't quite sure what they were talking about as he had refused to eavesdrop, believing it was better to respect his companion's privacy. He had also known that she would be upset and even more defensive if she knew he had caught her interacting with fox. So, he had backtracked a bit and had snapped a stick as loudly as he could, giving the Rito Champion ample time to retreat to her end of the camp and pretend that nothing had happened.

Maybe all he needed to do was invent another situation in which she would have time alone with Fox.

Link looked down at the animal, finding it staring up at him warily, as though knowing what it was he had planned.

"You'll be fine," Link said quietly as he scooped Fox up. He had faith that Revili wasn't going to do anything to him.

* * *

Revili had been alternating between pacing the width of her room and throwing herself on her bed. A part of her was trying to process through the complicated things she was feeling, and the other was trying to avoid the problem entirely.

When she had heard about the land of her birth, she had felt an overwhelming sense of dread. She was worried about having left her people without their Champion to defend them. While they likely had other capable warriors, it was supposed to be her responsibility to defend them. It left her feeling defeated, but that wasn't the only problem she was contending with.

As the conversation with Impa had continued on, Revili slowly decided that she didn't want to return to her homeland. At first, she had been under the impression that it was because she didn't want to be faced with her failures, but something about that didn't quite mesh properly. She did want to return to make sure that everything was all right, but another voice whispered that it wasn't a home at all. Whereas the first seemed invested in seeing her duty through, the second was far more concerned with her survival, though why avoiding the Rito Village was necessary for her well-being was something she couldn't quite fathom.

As a result of her internal conflict, she hadn't really been trying to argue when Link and Impa had decided that Zora's Domain should be attended to first. Eventually, they would have to pay Rito Village a visit, but hopefully, she would have the time to sort out her conflicted feelings before they arrived. The Rito Champion believed it to be a naïve hope when she considered the fact that she didn't even know why parts of her were screaming about not returning, but she clung to it all the same.

It certainly helped that she was certain she wasn't the only one harboring an unrealistic hope.

Link had been different after he had learned the names of their fallen companions. It wasn't unlike him to be focused when the occasion called for it, but he had been uncharacteristically focused afterwards, to the point where he had missed her quiet attempt to make conversation. It wasn't unlike him to ignore her when she was acting aggressively, But the few times that she had tried to engage him in idle chatter, he had participated. On the whole, she acknowledged that he probably needed time to work through his own thoughts, but it had still stung.

He was supposed to be her companion. Sure, they didn't have to get along, but it would have been nice to know that she could count on him when it really mattered.

"Stop being stupid," she growled to herself. This was what she had wanted, wasn't it?

A knock at the door surprised her. She took a few seconds to compose herself before opening the door. She felt her beak tighten as she saw Link standing in her doorway. The Hylian Champion was holding Fox. "There had better be a good reason for bothering me."

"I need to do something. Can you take care of Fox?"

"What makes you think that I have any desire to… just hand him over," Revili sighed as she took the animal from him. In reality, she found the idea of spending a bit of time with Fox appealing. She was worried that if she put up too much of a fight, then the Hylian would find other accommodations for him.

"Thanks," Link replied before leaving her alone with Fox.

"Oh, calm down," Revili muttered as she set him on the bed and reached into a pouch at her waist and removed some jerky she had gotten from Link. She had suspected that if she would have to continue bribing Fox for some time before he would be truly comfortable with her.

As she expected, the animal perked up as soon as she brought the offering out. She sat down next to him and fed him as she had the first time.

And then she started talking.

She wasn't really aware of what was coming out of her mouth, and she decided it didn't really matter as it was. Fox wasn't capable of telling anyone else what she had said. In fact, she was certain he didn't care at all. At the same time, he wasn't judging her for anything that fell out of her beak. So long as she brought something for him to eat, he was content to sit and listen.

It was amazing to her that she could more accurately define the relationship between her and an animal rather than the Hylian she was traveling with.

Link was gone for a long time, far longer than she had expected. She would certainly give him an earful when he returned, but even she had to admit it would just be for show. Secretly, she was glad that she had gotten as much time to vent as she had. The Rito Champion had certainly needed it.

"It's about time you got back," she grumbled when Link was in her doorway again.

"Sorry," he replied, as he took the fox back. He then defied her expectations by remaining in her door, staring at her for a few moments before finally speaking again. "Are you okay?"

She felt a fair amount of irritation building up. Why was he pretending to care again? "Why should I believe you care?"

"We're allies," he replied, unphased by the question. "We should look out for each other."

"Funny. Earlier, you seemed to care only about yourself." To her surprise, she saw the briefest flash of something cross his face. Typically, his face was devoid of expression, but for a split second, it had morphed entirely. It looked like shame, or regret, or sorrow. Whatever it was, it made her want to squirm with the discomfort of it.

"I should have been paying more attention earlier. I'm sorry." The stoic expression had returned, but she wasn't able to rid her mind of the brief expression she had seen.

"I'm fine. I just… have a lot on my mind," she replied unsteadily, only realizing afterwards that she had said more than she had intended to.

They both stood there awkwardly as Link waited for her to say anything else while she scrambled to regain control of herself.

"… Just make sure you're ready to go tomorrow!" she finally snapped, promptly shutting the door with far more force than she had intended.

She stood, frozen in place as she tried to come to terms with what had just happened. Clucking in irritation, she crossed the room and flung herself on the bed, still unable to comprehend the expression she had seen on his face.

The fact that it had existed, even for a moment, meant that he did indeed feel, even if he refused to show it. It was a disturbing revelation as it then threw her own reactions to him in a new light. She wondered how many other times something she had said or done had caused him some form of pain.

She found that she was just as annoyed with herself as she was with him. Now that she had seen a glimpse of an actual person inside, she was confronted with the knowledge that she had probably caused him multiple forms of distress. Revili wasn't fond of him, but she didn't want to cause him more grief than was absolutely necessary.

She groaned as she buried her head in the pillow beneath her. Why did dealing with him have to be so bloody complicated?

* * *

 **A/N: You know, it has gotten to the point where my brain and I are in a constant state of arguing over which story should have priority. Unfortunately, my brain seems to be winning.**


	5. Chapter 5

Revili eyed her companion as he stared after Prince Sidon, who had just departed. Ever since the overly optimistic and energetic giant of a Prince had appeared, Link had become strangely detached. It like he was inhabiting a different plane of reality entirely. Whenever the Prince spoke, Link would stare at him as though he were speaking a foreign language. Occasionally, the Hylian would start nodding as the Zora Prince spoke, even when nothing the Prince said should have garnered such a response.

To make matters more complicated, Sidon had mentioned that Link's name sounded familiar; however, he spent no time thinking about it all. The Prince didn't strike her as someone who paid too much attention to what was going on around him. He hadn't even seemed to notice Link's peculiar behavior, or if he did, he paid it no mind.

A sentiment which she personally couldn't understand.

She let him stare after the Zora Prince for a few more seconds before she finally said something. "Do you plan to stand there all day?"

Link blinked, quickly shaking his head as he came back from whatever bizarre mind space he had just been occupying. He didn't say anything as he started along the path.

The Rito Champion was already quite irritated. The incessant rainfall had led to both her clothes and feathers becoming soaked. She felt cumbersome, which considering her streamlined form, was an unusual and unpleasant feeling. To say that being waterlogged was not a pleasurable experience was an understatement, but Revili kept her irritation in check. The last time she had lashed out, she had struck a nerve, and she wasn't looking to replicate the feat. Considering how off he had been, she was worried what might happen if she said something else.

"What exactly was that about?" she asked as she followed after him.

Link shot her a glance over his shoulder.

"You know what I mean. Is there a reason you were looking at him like a lovesick idiot?"

"I think I know him."

Revili stopped, trying to process what she was hearing. "Hold on! You what?!"

Link continued on, giving her another pointed glance.

"You realize that it's been a hundred years, right? I hate to break it to you, but everyone we know is dead!" She hated admitting it, as it likely meant she had lost people close to her as well, but accepting it before she could remember would make it easier to cope with…

Right?

"Maybe." She had to strain to hear the Hylian Champion's response over the ever-present rain.

She hated that reply. The single word, the tone in which it was said. All of it was like he was saying that he knew or suspected something that she didn't and rather than telling her, he was determined to be aloof. "What is with you?!"

Link stopped, turning around slowly. His entire face was asking a question that she was going to clarify whether he wanted it or not.

"Why can't you just say what you mean like a normal person?! Saying 'maybe' when somebody tells you someone you know is dead! Who does that?! So, out with it! What do you know that I don't?!"

"I think Zora have longer life-spans," he said.

"And what makes you think that?" she sighed as she set a wing on her face. They had barely started the long walk to Zora's Domain, and she was already tired of the journey. This conversation certainly wasn't helping.

"That Zora I was talking to earlier."

"What about her?" Revili asked exasperatedly. She was almost considering pulling a tooth of his out so that he could understand just how painful getting answers out of him could be.

"She was over seventy years old," Link stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"And how do you know that?"

"She was muttering about hoping that she wouldn't be considered too young for someone." The Hylian shrugged.

"So you were eavesdropping?" That was rude, even for him.

"It was in the middle of our conversation."

"That doesn't mean you have to listen," the Rito Champion replied with a sigh. She was tired, soaked, and now had to give Link a lesson in proper manners. "We're getting off topic." She rubbed her forehead for several seconds, trying to decide whether or not she really wanted to ask the question on her mind. "Assuming that Zora do have longer life-spans, are you sure that you've thought whatever your planning through? It's not like you can just waltz back into their lives and pretend that nothing happened."

She had to remind herself that she didn't actually care, she just didn't want to haul around an emotionally damaged Hylian.

"I know."

"But you're going to try anyway, aren't you?"

"No."

Now that wasn't what she had been expecting to hear.

"I'll help like I promised, then disappear."

She shook her head at the ludicrous young man before her. She couldn't decide if he was someone who was able to change his mind in a moment's notice, or if that had been his original intent. He was so close-mouthed about everything that it was nearly impossible to figure out what he was thinking or feeling. It didn't help that this was the longest conversation they'd had since their awakening back on the Great Plateau. "Such a heroic gesture," she grumbled quietly. She instantly regretted the comment as soon as it left her beak.

Link kept his expression perfectly neutral, but she couldn't help but feel that her words had struck a nerve. She tried to remind herself that she didn't care but found that it was a rather difficult task. After they left Kakariko, she had adamantly tried to convince herself that the pained expression she had seen on his face was made up, or just a fluke; however, she had not been entirely successful. No matter how much she wished she could deny catching a glimpse of the person behind the stoic mask, it was now ingrained in her memory.

Silence fell between the two, allowing Link to turn back around and resume their trek to Zora's Domain. Revili was forced to move quickly in order to catch up with him, quietly fuming, both with herself and with her companion.

Part of her wished that Link wasn't so infuriatingly reserved. The other wished that she was better at controlling what fell out of her mouth. The odd part was she couldn't figure out why she wanted that.

As was typical for her, she shoved it deep into the recesses of her mind. She had neither the time nor the inclination to figure it out now. There was a job to do.

* * *

Link sat on his bed at the Seabed inn, reflecting on the events of the day and the task ahead of him.

As it turned out, Zoras had a ridiculously long life-span. Not only that, but a significant number of them recognized Link. The members of the younger generation had welcomed him with open arms, excitedly asking him how he was alive and where he had been for the last hundred years. When he revealed how he had survived and informed them of his amnesia, they had readily jumped in to try and fill whatever gaps they could. One of them had even admitted to putting him into the uncomfortable position of forcing him to choose between her and Mipha. Though it was unnecessary, she had apologized for the childish confrontation before beginning to fill him in on the twists and turns her life had taken. She had found a husband, had a daughter and was the co-proprietor of the inn he and Revili were staying at.

Link decided it was nice to catch up with old friends, even if he couldn't remember most of the times he had shared with them.

The reaction of the elders, on the other hand, made him grateful that Revili had taken him up on his offer to stay at the inn. She was changeable when it came to his penchant for short, to the point answers, but he figured she would much rather get out of the rain than accompany him to the King's Chambers. Thankfully, this meant that she wasn't there to add to the elders' hateful diatribes. He had apparently been quite close to Mipha, and, as a result, they blamed him for the disappearance of their beloved Princess and no qualms with expressing their distaste for him. He had no doubts that if they could trade him for her, they would do it in heartbeat.

The Hylian Champion wondered what Sidon would have thought if he knew Link's identity.

Despite the tirades, Link had continued on until he reached the King, where he was in for another surprise. He had figured that King Dorephan, Mipha's father, would hate him more than any of the other Zora who lived in the Domain, however, nothing could be further from the truth. Not only did the King hold Link blameless for his daughter's disappearance, but he had also seen the Hylian Champion's return as a cause for celebration. This reaction was taken to its extreme when Sidon realized exactly what was going on. He was equally thrilled to not only have found a capable warrior to help save his home but a long-lost friend as well. Sidon's boundless enthusiasm was almost infectious.

Unfortunately, Dorephan's advisor, Muzu, held enough hatred for him to counterbalance Dorephan's and Sidon's joy. He had expressed vehement opposition when Dorephan had pled for Link's help, and he had nearly lost his mind when the King had presented the Hylian Champion with special armor that had been crafted by Mipha herself. He was so angry that he wound up storming out of chamber entirely, forcing Sidon to chase after him while Dorephan urged Link to tag along as well, but not before he donned the armor.

Upon reaching Muzu, he learned why the Elder had responded the way he had. It was traditional for the Princesses of the Zora Royal Family to craft armor for the man they intended to marry, and Mipha's armor fit him perfectly. Muzu had strongly believed that Mipha would have never for the likes of the Hylian Champion, so the sight of Link in the armor was something he couldn't comprehend.

Link couldn't blame him.

While Muzu had been trying to make sense of what he was seeing, Link had finally taken a look at the statue they were in front of. It was a depiction of a beautiful Zora which conveyed a sense both of power and grace. Whoever she was, he had the impression that she could be just as fierce as she could be tender. In a strange way, the statue was familiar but… wrong. Fortunately or unfortunately, he didn't have to wait long to find out why.

The statue had given rise to the first real memories that the Hylian Champion could recall since his awakening. He saw himself and Mipha as they grew up together. They had studied together, trained together, and played together. Of all of his friends in the Domain, she was the one he trusted most. She was strong, steady, and was willing to use her powers to heal anyone in need, regardless of the costs to herself or the benefits she could reap.

She was the kind of person he aspired to be like.

As they had matured, their friendship had blossomed into something more. What it was, he wasn't equipped to say, but all too soon, he had left the Domain behind for a time. After that, he experienced brief spurts of visits back, but something had changed. The world was grayer, he didn't laugh as much, didn't smile as much. Whenever his kind-hearted friend had asked what was troubling him, he had refused to answer.

Why had he done that? Why had he closed himself off from someone that had meant so much to him?

His last memory was promising her that they would spend more time together after Ganon had been defeated.

When he returned to the present, Muzu had finally calmed down and helped Sidon to devise a plan of attack. The plan relied on using shock arrows to attack four weak points along Vah Ruta's joints. Muzu had suggested collecting more shock arrows than was really necessary, but Link had refused. He knew that Revili wouldn't need extra arrows, so it would be a waste of time. Even as they continued to work out the finer details, Link was making his own plans to go and assault Ruta immediately.

It had occurred to him distantly that he was being a bit too rash at that time, but he hadn't cared. His only concern was retaking Ruta as soon as physically possible. So intent was he on attacking the Divine Beast that he had asked Sidon to inform Revili that he would be going to Ruta immediately.

He didn't even make it five steps before he was stopped.

The Prince was so concerned by the sudden change in demeanor that he had opted to literally drag the Hylian Champion back to his father, who had made it clear that he would have Link locked up if he went anywhere near Vah Ruta that night. For the first time in his very fractured memory, Link had been furious. He had been ambushed by monsters, forced to endure harsh conditions, been made to look a fool by Rhoam, and had to listen to Revili's consistently snide comments, but none of that had upset him nearly as much as Dorephan's threat.

He had returned to the Seabed inn, intent on getting Revili's help, but the Rito Champion had informed, in no uncertain terms, that he was an idiot if he thought she was going to get arrested because of him.

The response was enough to give him pause. If Revili, who was usually the one to complain about having to sit still, was willing to oblige with the King's decree, then maybe he needed to stop and think.

While he was still biting at the bit to attack the Divine Beast, he was thinking more clearly now. Once clarity had returned to him, he began to chastise himself for being so reckless. No matter how he felt about the Zora Champion, he couldn't get caught up in the moment. Mipha wouldn't have wanted him to get himself hurt or killed, especially because of her. As upset as he had been, both with Sidon and Dorephan, he was grateful for their intervention as they had likely saved his life, especially since neither of the remaining Champions knew what they were up against.

So, he sat on his waterbed, unable to sleep and lost in thought, idly petting Fox as he waited for what passed as morning to come.

* * *

 **A/N: So, I think I am going to do the next chapter, then after that, I'm going to be going back to working on CoaFA. It may be a week or two before I get back to this.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Constipated Genius because dude... you should really have more confidence in yourself.**

* * *

The veiled falls was a natural beauty. The crystal-clear water reflected and refracted the light, sending it dancing in a multitude of colors around its base. The pond that made up the base supported its own ecosystem with a unique diversity of life. What was more, because of its proximity to the Domain and its popularity, the wildlife had become acclimated to beings like Zoras, Hylians, and other higher life-forms. Because of this, the small critters hadn't fled from Link when he appeared at the falls.

He loved the Veiled Falls, but he saw none of the sights that he'd grown up with. Instead, he traveled to the very top of the waterfall and sat, staring blankly at a far-off mountaintop where the Divine Beast Vah Ruta sat. Within the confines of the massive mechanical being resided the spirit of the person he loved most.

He could almost see Mipha standing atop Ruta's head, gazing at Hyrule Castle with the same quiet intensity he remembered from his childhood. While many people didn't think of her as intense or passionate, Link knew her to be otherwise. When she had a goal in mind, she pursued it with near limitless patience, never relenting for a moment. When he had asked her why she chose to live her life in such a fashion, Mipha had replied that she admired the way that water wore down mountains. A stream or river couldn't erode stone overnight, but it persevered, carving away its obstacles away bit by bit. It could take hundreds of years, but eventually, the water would have its way.

She saw herself in the quiet persistence of water, and so she sought to embody it. Not even a hundred years trapped within her own Divine Beast could have put an end to that. When he had finally gotten the chance to speak with her, he had been far from surprised to find that her determination had only increased.

As he sat staring at the Beast, he began to turn over the events of Ruta's reclamation in his mind. Revili's superior mobility and mastery of her weapon made her an effective match for the Divine Beast. Her only real issue was Ruta's ability to create and manipulate ice; however, even that wasn't an impediment to the Rito Champion. Sidon possessed unrivaled speed and agility in the water, able to keep up with Revili even with Link's added weight. Coupled with Link's proficient use of the Crynosis rune, they were able to cover Revili so that she could temporarily disable the beast without the added pressure of evading attacks.

The simplicity ended there. Retaking the Beast required the two Champions to solve a variety of puzzles in order to activate terminals while also fending off the Guardians that defended Ruta's interior; however, none of that was what made the Beast so difficult to reclaim. It was the fact that Mipha's voice resonated softly through the halls that the Zora Princess and the Hylian Knight had once walked together.

Her words were meant to be reassuring, but each word tore at Link, slowly gouging him out from the inside. His footsteps had become so heavy that even Revili had noticed.

When they had finally activated all the terminals, the Zora Champion's voice had guided them to the control room, where they finally met the being that had ended Mipha's life.

It was a phantom of Ganon named Waterblight, and its singular purpose was to kill the Zora Champion and wrest control of Vah Ruta from her. Even though Mipha warned them of the circumstances of her death, Link hadn't really accepted she was dead. In a moment of blind passion, he threw himself at the Blight with reckless abandon.

He had blacked out for much of the fight, only recalling a few instances of blocking blows from a large energy spear and hearing Revili shouting something incomprehensible. As a result of his lack of restraint, his body had become marred by several wounds, none of which he could recall receiving. No, the only thing he remembered was ending the fight by stabbing his blade deep into the Blight and what followed.

Mipha's spirit had appeared in the chamber with them. She had smiled softly as she approached him, cupping his cheek in a webbed hand as she told him how happy she was to see him one last time. Before she left, she had begged him to finish what they had started and defeat Ganon. She had also asked him to save Zelda, "his" Princess as she had put it.

Something inside him broke under the weight of those words.

She had kept in the traditions of her people and crafted armor for him. Had intended to ask him to spend the rest of his life with her, but now, she was passing him onto another. If there had been a shred of doubt in him as to whether or not she was alive, that was enough to crush it.

He had felt so lost as she sent him and Revili away, transporting them back to the Domain in an instant.

The Zora celebrated the event with a feast, but there was nothing to celebrate. King Dorephan had commended the two Champion's accomplishments, but he had accomplished nothing. The man that was supposed to call father had tried to comfort him, but there was nothing left to comfort.

All that was left was an empty shell.

He had stolen away at the first available opportunity, needing to get away from the praise. Experiencing what was left of Mipha had driven tendrils of guilt and loss into him, and each word of praise drove them further beneath his skin. At that point, fleeing was purely his survival instincts trying to keep him alive.

The Veiled Falls was his sanctuary. It was the place where he and Mipha had retreated when the stresses of life had become too much, relying on its serenity to refortify themselves. They had spent a significant amount of their time together there.

And now it was as empty as everything else.

He hadn't just been running from something but toward something as well. While he knew that it was childish, he had chosen the Veiled Falls in the hopes that he would feel closer to his beloved. The attempt was in vain. At that moment, as he sat in their spot, staring at the Divine Beast, he felt further from her than he ever had.

Not even this place would offer him asylum. Not from the infinite separation and not from his self-loathing.

He had used her to heal his wounds, hurt her with his silence, and ultimately broken the promise he had made. Now, he couldn't even shed the tears that she deserved. It was as though his body didn't even know that it was supposed to be grieving. It just sat exhaustedly in the same place, letting out sighs and slumping. Why did it refuse to show the sorrow that he felt? The profound sense of emptiness?

The worst part was that none of it really meant anything to the rest of the world. He would get up tomorrow or the next day and continue. Together, he and Revili would retake the Beasts and strike Ganon down. He and Revili would be celebrated heroes who would one day fade into legend. Would anybody remember Mipha? How many of the Zoras in the Domain could actually tell him about their beloved Princess and Champion?

What was even the point of continuing? There were plenty of reasons to fight, but all of them paled when compared to the void that had made its home in his chest.

He sat, contemplating his reasons to even consider continuing to fight. The only one he could find was that he would then be one step closer to being done.

He just had to defeat Ganon, then maybe, they could both find some semblance of peace.

* * *

Revili stormed through the Domain, searching for the Hylian Champion amidst the celebrations in the Domain. Most of the Zora had the good sense to stay out of her way, but the few that tried to approach and personally extend their thanks were nearly trampled by the angry Rito.

There had been a fair amount of bad blood between her and Link before, but this had really taken the cake. Not only had he charged Waterblight like a bloody fool, but he had also nearly gotten them both killed in the process. Being eager to kill one of the things responsible for the death of a friend was something she could understand. Reckless abandon was something else entirely. She had enough to deal with without constantly having to worry about him getting himself killed as she had during the fight.

No matter what his motives had been, she was going to give him a piece of her mind.

And she would make sure he didn't enjoy it.

As her talons continued scraping along the metal pathways of the Domain, she caught sight of Prince Sidon. Changing her course quickly, she moved to intercept him. "Where is he?"

"Ah, Lady Revili! Than- "

"Where's Link?!" she snapped over the Prince. She wasn't in the mood to exchange pleasantries.

Sidon's grin faded, giving way to an unreadable expression as he stared at her. "You are upset with him."

"What gave it away? Don't answer that!" she growled as he opened his mouth to answer. "Just tell me where he is so that I can – "

"I saw him heading towards the Veiled Falls earlier," Sidon interrupted calmly. Revili turned to go, but she was stopped as the Prince set a hand on her shoulder. "You should know that he and my sister were close."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Just… please keep that in mind," the Prince replied as he removed his hand.

Revili grumbled a complaint before she spread her wings and took to the skies. She quickly flew past the Zora City's limits and began exploring the nearby waterfalls. She hadn't taken the time to become familiar with the various locales around the Domain, but she reasoned it wasn't really a problem considering how quickly she could travel.

In no time at all, she found him sitting at the top of a waterfall. She changed course, taking the last few seconds to finish preparing her tirade; however, she completely forgot it as she drew closer.

Though she avoided the Hylian Champion as much as she could, she had still become familiar with his mannerisms. He always maintained a proper posture, even when he was relaxing. It was something that she had come to associate not only with his stoicism but him in general. So, every harsh word she had planned was swept away when she saw the slumped shoulders accompanied by the vacant expression.

She landed behind him, trying to decide on another strategy to handle the current situation. Eventually, with no better ideas, she joined him at the edge and sat down next to him. It was uncomfortable, to say the least. They had spent a few weeks traveling together, but they had always spent their free times in separate rooms or opposite ends of their camp.

Sitting together wasn't something they did.

"So," she started awkwardly, "… how are you?"

Link gave the barest shrug, not even turning to her.

She looked away for a moment, wishing there was someone else who can handle the situation. If she had taken Sidon more seriously, she would have stopped and picked up Fox before finding Link. The animal was far better at this sort of thing than she, and he didn't even talk.

"So," she said, trying to fill the awkward silence as she reached for something to say, "Sidon told me that you and Mipha were close…"

Link somehow deflated more before nodding.

She opened her beak again, but she had nothing to say. What could she possibly say in this scenario that could possibly help? She had suspected that Link and Mipha had possessed some sort of strong bond, but she didn't know how strong it was. "What was she to you?" She shook her head, hardly believing that she had let the question slip out.

"… Everything."

Just when she thought her surprise at seeing him like this was abating, something new happened to throw her right back into the sea of surprise. This time, it was the crack in his voice that caught her off guard. Once she worked past that, she reflected on the answer.

She had expected something like a close friend, lover, or something along those lines. Everything? That conveyed that the Zora Princess had been his entire world and now, that world had shattered. She couldn't claim to understand, but she had a better idea than she'd had a few minutes ago.

She wasn't just surprised to see this side of Link. Personally, she couldn't remember thinking much of Mipha. There had always been a sort of wall between them. Some unbridgeable gap that kept them from really getting to know each other. It was a shame really. Revili had secretly held admiration for the Zora Champion as she had not only been a remarkable warrior but soft and feminine as well. When they had first been introduced Revili hadn't thought much of her, then she saw Mipha in action. It was almost enough to make the Rito Champion consider taking up a spear herself.

Apparently, she had been more than just a fellow Champion to Link.

"What was she like?" She wasn't certain he would respond. She didn't even really know why she had asked. She had come ready to fight, and now they were having the most genuine conversation they'd had yet. She wasn't sure how it had happened.

He finally looked at her, asking a hard question with his eyes.

"What?" she asked, becoming mildly defensive "We never really talked." It was a hard thing to admit. She had known that they had lost nearly all of their comrades, but that hadn't been able to prepare her for running into Mipha's spirit. Now, all she could do was ask herself why she hadn't made more of an effort to get to know the Zora Champion. Yes, she had feared rejection, but she could have, should have tried harder.

"… She was like water."

Revili had absolutely no idea what that meant, but she didn't ask for more details. She had a feeling that it was something he could spend an entire day trying to explain and she still wouldn't understand. It was something personal to him. Something that defined their relationship.

Was there anyone she had been that close to?

"And me?" There were very few times in which she considered crawling into a hole and dying, but that was what she wanted to do as the question left her beak.

There was a long silence before Link finally responded. "I don't know."

She didn't know how to feel about that. Portions of her were irritated by the vague answer, others couldn't blame him, and still, others were quite hurt.

The worst part was that it took her some thought to realize why it had hurt. Even though she had been harsh, constantly pushed him away, and was otherwise cold, the truth was, she wanted him to be her friend. At the same time, she was still afraid of rejection. So, she had put inadvertently created a cycle where she became annoyed with her companion's lack of communication, but then shut him down when he tried.

The solution was simple: just stop. The only problem was, she didn't know how to stop.

"It's my fault," Link said suddenly. "If I had been there –"

"Are you stupid?" Great golden goddesses in heaven above! Why couldn't she stop?

Link glared at her.

"You can't blame yourself for that." For once, she managed to say exactly what she meant without sounding too condescending.

He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off.

"Would she have wanted that?"

All the fight left him, leaving only the silent sorrow. "… no."

"Then don't be an idiot." She meant that one.

They Hylian Champion didn't respond. His gaze turned back towards Vah Ruta, prompting Revili to do the same. The duo sat on top of the falls for a long time, neither really sure what to say. Eventually, Link stood up. "Thanks. I needed that," he murmured.

"Wait," she commanded. She hadn't noticed earlier, but his bandages had started to soak through. He had likely lost a lot of blood by the look of it, and she didn't want to have to carry him back to the inn. "Sit down."

"I'm fi- "

"Sit down and be quiet!" she snapped. His choosing to ruin what had been their first genuine moment by being his normal, moronic self was something she refused to tolerate. "Would it kill you to cooperate from time to time?" she grumbled as she removed the bandages and readied another cloth to wrap around his torso.

Link only responded with a small smile.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Nobody smiles at nothing!"

"Just feeling a bit better," he replied.

"Oh? Then maybe we should talk about what happened with Waterblight earlier. The next time you-"

The rant continued as Revili proceeded to check the rest of his wounds and rebandaged the ones that most needed it. It wasn't much, but she figured it was the best way to honor her fallen comrade. Even if he was an amalgamation of every vapid decision that could ever possibly be made.

* * *

 **A/N: So, like I said last chapter, I am going to be taking a brief break from this so that I can focus on the fic that people actually care about (I know a few of you care about this one, but my other one is why I get random PMs from readers I have never heard of before so...). I'm hoping I can get back to this in the next week or two, but, as I learned in CoaFA, I will make no promises. If usually doesn't pan out well for me.**


	7. Chapter 7

"What are you staring at?!"

"Nothing," Link replied quietly as he turned his attention back to the pot in front of him, staring at it more intently than usual. Staring at the subject of his thoughts helped him focus and work through the puzzles that lay in the world around him. Unfortunately, Revili despised being stared at.

It wasn't her irritability that bothered him. He had already accepted that she would likely always have a bite in her tone. As surprised as he was that she'd had some form of compassion while they sat atop the Veiled Falls, she had quickly reverted to her normal self and tried to act as though nothing had happened, but something had changed.

For starters, they had formed a new morning ritual that had persisted the first week after they had left the Domain behind. Every morning, Revili would check Link's wounds, clean them out if necessary, and then rebandage them. It didn't matter if Link had already done so himself, she refused to move until she had checked them herself.

Another interesting pattern that had emerged was a smaller campsite, or rather a reduced distance between the two. They still had their respective side, but more often than not, they could speak to each other in their normal speaking tones. The thing that was particularly interesting was that their unspoken rules had changed as a result. If both of them were close to the fire, then conversation was allowed. If, however, one or both fled to the outer reaches of the camp, then conversation was taboo.

He wasn't quite sure what had brought on the changes, but he wasn't really opposed to it.

The Hylian Champion still struggled with Mipha's death. Every morning was a swift reminder that he had to get up and live in a world without her in it. Some days, while difficult, were manageable. The world around him had lost so much of its color as the greens, browns, reds, blues, and yellows all faded to a dull, lifeless grey; however, it wasn't enough to make him forget the responsibilities he had. In fact, he could cling to that purpose and use it to push himself onwards.

Some days, her passing was enough to make him wonder what the point of getting up in the morning was. On the worst days, the knowledge made it difficult to get up, forcing his body to act on its own. On those days, he considered laying where he was and waiting for a monster or wild animal to come and send him from the world as well. Without a pilot, his body was forced to act on its own, moving through practiced motions to keep him alive.

Some days, he wished it would stop.

Coincidentally, those were the days that Revili chose to be the most demanding. Not only would she harp on him about his regular daily tasks, but she would throw on other chores that were entirely unnecessary. He couldn't help but think back to the day when she had thrown a brush at him and demanded that he tend to Fox's fur. When Link had replied that the animal was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, she gave him the choice of getting rid of Fox or attending to his fur.

He was fairly certain she hadn't meant it, but he wasn't really keen to test her on the subject. Unfortunately, Fox's splint had come off, meaning that his survival wasn't contingent on staying with them. He wasn't going to take any chances, so he acquiesced.

He supposed that such tasks, no matter how menial, helped to distract from thoughts concerning the late Zora Champion. Besides, doing such things wasn't actually something that bothered him, so he didn't really see the point in causing more problems by refusing.

"What?" Revili asked, only the barest irritation in her voice. It sounded to him more like she was trying to sound annoyed rather than actually being so. Maybe it was out of habit, or maybe it was because that was what had defined their relationship up to that point. Whatever it was, he was at least familiar enough with her to know that she was actually upset.

Yet.

"Just surprised," he replied, not lifting his eyes from his pot.

"Did they teach you how to answer questions without actually answering them while you were a squire?"

"You're sitting closer to the fire."

"That's what people do when they're cold."

Link suppressed the desire to roll his eyes. Even though the sun had long fallen below the horizon, it was still far from cold. Even if it was, her feathers would have helped her keep warm. All he could think was that she was hiding her real reasoning behind the pathetic excuse.

"Don't!" she snapped suddenly.

He frowned, asking a question with his eyes alone.

"That thing you're doing with your eyebrow," she replied hotly. "That always happens when you don't believe me."

He tilted his head his head to the side, trying to determine exactly what it was she was talking about. It took him a few seconds, but he could just barely feel his brow twitching ever so slightly.

He shouldn't have been surprised that she would notice such a small detail. With her superior eyesight and meticulous nature, it was almost inevitable that she would notice something so minute. Even so, he couldn't help but be impressed that she had not only noticed it but had attached some meaning to it.

It would certainly explain how she always knew he didn't believe her, even when he didn't call her out.

"It's not cold," he finally said as she continued to glare at him.

"Maybe it is to me."

"You have feathers," he pointed out.

"And that means I can't be cold?" she asked as she narrowed her eyes dangerously.

Link shrugged as he ladled more food into his bowl.

"Fine," she sighed. "I was just thinking that maybe it's a bit pointless to have so much extra space. Happy?"

Link shrugged again.

"That's not an answer."

"I was just curious."

"Oh, for the love of-will you ever learn to answer a simple question?!"

"No," Link answered, a tiny smile tugging at his lips.

"Oh great. Now you have a sense of humor," she grumbled as she crossed her wings. "Can you just make yourself useful and wash these dishes up?"

Link maintained his small smile as he gathered everything and walked it to a nearby pond. Though the instances were few and far between, sometimes, he could almost crawl out from the crushing sense of loss he had lived with since the Domain. Sometimes, he could almost see color again.

* * *

Revili flew above Link, watching her Hylian companion as he walked along below her. While their time in Zora's Domain had answered some questions about the Hylian, they raised even more questions then she'd had originally.

How long had he spent in the Domain? On that note, how had he come to be there in the first place? Why had he left if Mipha meant as much as he claimed?

Unfortunately, the least pertinent questions revolved around Link while the more pertinent ones revolved around her. Had she lost someone, and if so, who? Would she be able to cope with the loss?

The Rito Champion was coping with the loss of Mipha rather well; however, she and the Zora Champion were associates at best. They could work together when necessary, but beyond that, she couldn't say that she knew anything about Mipha other than that she'd had some sort of attachment to Link. She was forced to admit that Mipha's wasn't a true loss, and yet she couldn't help but feel a sense of dulled sorrow. It was enough to make her fear returning to the place she had called home.

Of course, she had only partially dealt with the problem. Instead, she chose to focus on getting to Death Mountain while dragging an emotionally scarred Hylian along with her. While he kept himself together most days, there were some in which she had to drag him along as she gave him menial tasks. He could have time to work through his loss, but she wasn't going to let him wallow in his misery needlessly. Too much was counting on them.

And it really bothered her.

It wasn't quite right to say that it aggravated her. As they had made their way from the Great Plateau, she had come to decide that, if nothing else, Link was at least purposeful in his actions. If he picked up a plant, tool, or any other random object, then she could be sure that he had some use for it, even if its intended purpose was beyond her. So, to see him looking around aimlessly, or sitting and staring off into the distance for extended periods was unsettling.

Yes, unsettled was a much better word. She had been working towards making peace with Link, even if some of his quirks were absolutely infuriating, but now she may as well have not been trying at all. The only thing that hadn't really changed was his quiet and the bloody staring he did.

By and large, though, he remained self-sufficient. He still cooked, ate, and kept himself reasonably clean and hygienic. A good chunk of it may have been him going through the motions, but at least he would remain alive and healthy.

Oddly enough, their conversation by the fire the night prior was the liveliest she had seen him since they had left the Domain. Though she didn't want to admit it, she had been somewhat thrilled to see him crack a smile. Even if it had been little more than a slight pulling up of the lips.

She frowned as the Hylian Champion stopped in his tracks suddenly. She dove down quickly, reaching him in a matter of seconds as he crouched low, motioning for her to do the same.

"What is it?" she hissed as she crouched next to him, readying her bow as she knocked an arrow.

She was irritated that he had somehow managed to spot a threat before she had. Even though they were technically in a wooded area, the trees were thin and sparse enough that there was very little she couldn't have seen. That meant that she had been distracted by her thoughts to notice any danger.

Stupid Link. He just _had_ to go and get himself hurt, meaning that she _had_ to figure out what the problem was and solve it, so she could be done babysitting him. Why was he so exhausting and infuriating all at the same time?

"Shh," Link hushed as he stepped slowly and silently into what little shrubbery there was.

"Dinsake!" she spat quietly. "Just tell me what we're up against!"

She could just barely see Link pointing, but not to a Bokoblin, Moblin, Lizalfo, or any other monster they had met thus far.

He was pointing to a deer.

"Are you kidding me?!" she snapped as she shot back to her full height. The buck's head snapped around and stared at her before bounding off, far beyond their reach.

Link sighed as he stood back up and frowned at her.

"Here I was thinking that you were in some sort of danger – but oh no! you were just chasing some stupid beast to hang up on your wall! Do you even have a wall to hang that on?!"

"I was planning on cooking it," he replied quietly.

"What?" She asked disbelievingly.

"You complained about constantly eating weeds."

Revili rubbed her eyes with the tips of her wings as she let out a deep breath. Of all the ridiculous things that she had been forced to endure since waking up in the Shrine of Resurrection, this one grated on her nerves the most.

"Thank you," Link said quietly.

"For what?" she growled as she dropped her wings, glaring at him again.

"For having my back."

"Don't be stupid." She was so surprised that she couldn't even formulate a response, instead, it seemed that her mouth had a reaction of its own. "If you die, then I'll have to find someone else to swing that magic, glowing stick that Rhoam and Dorephan mentioned."

Link didn't react in the slightest.

"Just… do me a favor and let me know before you go and do something stupid."

Link nodded before saying, "I'm going to do something stupid."

"Whatever," she replied as she spread her wings. "Don't come crying to me to patch you up again because you were acting like a child." She spread her wings and took to the skies before he could remind her that she was the one that had insisted on patching him up. She had dealt with enough confusion for one day.

* * *

 **A/N: And I'm back... with something.**

 **Guest Reviews:**

 **Jamesbirdsong:** Thanks! Sorry it took me so long to respond (I suck, I know).


	8. Interlude

**A/N: This is basically a Christmas themed one-shot because... reasons and isn't the official chapter 8. Anyway, I don't think there are any spoilers, but if you're worried about it, I would wait. Also, I borrowed the idea of "Din's Day" from EyeofAmethyst07.**

* * *

"What is this?" Revili asked skeptically as Link turned from their stove and set a mug in front of her. Inside it was a rich, brown, frothy liquid that sent steam spilling out in every direction. "I know I can be unpleasant, but there's no need to try and poison me.

Link grinned as he turned back and used a ladle to serve himself before sitting back across the table from her. After traveling around Hyrule with her, and then settling down in Hateno with her after all was said and done, he had come to accept that she would always have a bit of a bite. In fact, it had become such a staple of their relationship that he could tell when she was saying such things out of habit and when she was actually upset. As long as her eyes weren't twitching, he wasn't in trouble, though he had learned from experience that it took less than five seconds for that to change.

Rather than answering her question, he blew into his own beverage, trying to cool it a bit before taking a sip.

"You know that doesn't answer anything, right?"

He nodded, taking another sip. "It's something my mother made for me when I was young." It was one of the reasons he loved Din's day. Of course, he couldn't truly appreciate the gesture until now, when he realized just how much trouble his mother must have gone through to make it.

Every year, his mother would save what little extra money she could to buy chocolate from Beedle the merchant, who visited the rural village just once every spring. And then, on days in which the icy winds screamed through their village, burying the small farming community in snow, his mother would melt hunks of the chocolate in warm cream, adding sugar to counter the bitterness of the chocolate. Then he would sit in her lap, trying and failing to nurse his drink while she read him some of his favorite tales. Usually, he wound up finishing within minutes of it being cool enough to drink. Those had been simpler times.

"You're not answering the question," Revili grumbled as the wind slapped against the walls of their home harder.

Simpler times, but not necessarily better. There was a time when he would have dreaded being stuck with the Rito for any length of time, but now he found the idea rather appealing. While she still called him "stupid" or "idiotic," words others would generally consider to be insulting, it was quietly understood between the two that they were terms of affection. That was just one thing that had changed between them.

After she had divulged the details of her childhood to him, Link had been utterly amazed at her ability to show any form of affection. She wasn't overly fond of physical affection, something Link didn't mind in the slightest, though they had progressed from two separate beds to sharing one, with her nestling into him during their sleep. She had also made herself more emotionally available to him while coming to rely on him for the same even if she came across as cold to their neighbors.

All in all, he could only claim to miss the old days with his mother just a little. He missed her terribly, but there was something about having a companion of his own that conflicted with his nostalgia.

Or maybe he had finally learned to live in the moment.

"Why are you smiling?"

"I think you'll like it."

Revili sighed before finally taking a sip. Her eyes widened as she lowered the mug and stared at the contents. She said nothing more as she took another mouthful.

"Careful!" He could still see steam rising steadily from the drink. He sighed, getting to his feet and moving to a cupboard to remove a bottle with a light blue healing potion that also acted as a cooling agent. As he turned back to Revili he found her grimacing as she struggled to swallow the scalding liquid. This hadn't been the first time she had burned her mouth in such a manner and he doubted it would be the last.

He uncorked the bottle, bringing it to her beak as he gently held her head in place with his other hand. She didn't actually need him to help her take the elixir, but it wasn't something that occurred to either of them. During their travels, it had become second nature to them to tend to the other's wounds no matter how small. Had he been the one to make that mistake, then their roles would have been reversed, possibly with a few comments about how much of a moron he was.

She gulped the liquid down, sighing in relief as her mouth was numbed while the potion healed her burns.

"You okay?" Link asked quietly, still cupping her cheek.

"What do you think?" she surprised him by almost nestling her head further into his hand. The whole thing lasted a brief second before she pulled away, grumbling about how much of an idiot he was.

"Knew you'd like it," he said, his smile returning as he set the bottle in the sink and sitting back across from her.

"You didn't know anything," she growled as she glared at him. She punctuated her remark by taking a much more conservative sip.

Link shrugged, retaking his own mug.

"So, your mother would make this?" the Rito asked, taking another drink so carefully that it was almost comical.

"Yep. Then I would sit on her lap as she read me stories."

"You're not going to sit on my lap."

Link stared at her impassively. While Revili had learned to interpret many of his nonverbal signals, she still struggled to understand him sometimes, especially when he wiped any form of expression from his face. That combined with her proclivity for jumping to conclusions could make it hilariously easy to mess with her from time to time.

"Link… no."

Unfortunately, she had also learned to spot the most minute of twitches on his face, meaning he had to fight to keep his lips from twitching as the Rito glared at him.

"No!"

It was getting rather difficult to subdue the smile that was trying to grow.

"If you try to sit on my lap, I will put my entire bloody quiver through you!" she said warningly, just before his efforts to hide a grin failed entirely. "You!... I hate you!" she exclaimed as she leapt to her feet and searched for something to throw at him.

He remained where he was, stealing her mug in the process. He reasoned it couldn't hurt to have a bargaining chip.

* * *

"Are you done?" Revili asked dourly as Link eyed her with his stupidly mischievous smile. In her haste, she had grabbed a pillow to throw at the Hylian without actually making a plan, and she had learned that Link was someone that required active planning to win against. As a result, he had been able to take the pillow she had been poised to throw with little effort.

Link nodded before his smile melted away, being replaced by a thoughtful expression. He didn't share what was on his mind, and she didn't ask. Instead, they sat in a comfortable silence, enjoying their beverages.

"I have something for you," he said suddenly, standing up and leaving the table.

Despite the surface nature of their exchange, Revili hadn't been upset. In fact, it was quite the opposite. She had known that Link hadn't even visualized trying to sit on her and had been making a joke. It was, in her mind, a fun little moment while they were trapped inside. She could see that Link had enjoyed it as well.

However, her good mood died as Link left the room entirely. As a child, Din's Day had been a particularly painful experience. When her parents remembered her, they would pick up a random stone or something similar and try to pass it off as their gift to her. It was a prime example of how little she meant to them, but that wasn't the worst of it. She had once befriended an older Rito woman who had then taken to getting her small trinkets every year. She loved getting something that was heartfelt.

Of course, then her parents would take the trinkets and pawn them off for petty cash. Perhaps it would have been less awful if she had gotten to keep at least one of them, but that was never the case. Every year, one of the few things she had gotten wasn't even hers to keep.

Though she doubted Link was going to give her something meaningless, it was difficult to overcome years of experience. Not only that, but there was something else that she had to grapple with.

Her gift-giving ability wasn't something that she was particularly confident in. She had made something for her parents one year, but they had discarded as they would any trash that came their way. After she left her parents to lead a life of her own, she didn't have any friends or loved ones to exchange gifts with. In other words, she had attempted to find something for Link with no real experience.

Maybe it was a result of his upbringing, or maybe it was just a personality quirk, but Link had an appreciation for homemade objects. Unfortunately, her abilities were limited in that department, so she had been forced to compromise. She had saved many of her molted feathers, keeping them clean and pristine until she could get her hands on a thicker tunic. Once she had found a suitably nice one, she had sought the help of the local seamstress, who helped her split the fabric open and place the feathers within it. In Rito culture, it was often considered an intimate gift to give another an outfit that made use of one's feathers. A gift meant to keep the beloved warm.

While Link likely wouldn't understand the significance of the gift, he probably wouldn't reject it. Then again, he still surprised her often, and that was what made her nervous now.

They both returned to the table, each carrying a single, well-wrapped parcel. They silently exchanged the packages, each staring at their respective gift uncertainly as the uncomfortable silence persisted.

"Well, don't just stand there staring like an idiot. Open it," she muttered as she made no move to open her own.

She cringed as she heard the paper being torn apart. Link said nothing, but she knew that he had picked it up and was staring at the tunic intently. She distracted herself by tearing the paper that covered her gift apart a little more violently than she intended.

She pulled the wrappings aside to find a small wooden box. It was simple, nothing to write home about if she had a home to write to, but she supposed that it was at least something. Perhaps she could use it to store some of her scant collection of jewelry.

Even though there wasn't much to see, she opened the box as she heard Link shuffling around. Inside, though, she found something quite remarkable.

She slowly pulled the tight-knitted fabric out slowly, gaping not only at the length but the color as well. She wasn't an expert when it came to thread, but even she knew that it was higher quality than anything offered in the village. Not only that, but blue cloth of any sort was expensive to make. In fact, it was so expensive that often only the nobility could afford it. So, as she stared at the thick, navy blue stripe that ran down the center, she couldn't help but think about how expensive a spool of such thread would be. Not to mention that even the emerald green that made up the thin stripes on either side of the blue wouldn't have been cheap either.

"Where did you find this?" she asked, unable to hide the awe in her tone.

"Made it," Link replied quietly.

She should have guessed. She should have known that the reason he had been slinking away for months was that he was making something like that.

She had noticed that when it came to crafting furniture, dishes, clothes, or anything else they needed, he attended to the creation of it with a meticulousness that she could never hope to match. If he made a mistake, he would scrap what he had to and would start again. Once, after their table had fallen apart, it had taken Link two weeks longer than it should have to make another one. It could be endlessly frustrating.

And yet, every once in a while, something like the scarf she held would come out of it. The Rito could see that he had even made it longer than necessary so that she could throw it over her shoulder and trail after her the way she liked.

She turned away, blinking furiously as her eyes began to burn. Her vision blurred slightly, forcing her to quickly wipe at her eyes. "It'll do, I guess." She hated the way her voice had cracked slightly, and how the statement had been accompanied by a sniffle.

Honestly, she thought it was ridiculous to get so worked up about a scarf.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, as Link gently turned her towards him. Slowly, he pulled her into a hug. Despite being the instigator, he was still stiff as a board.

"Idiot," Revili mumbled as she set her head on his shoulder and let him hold her. A small part of her noticed that he was wearing the tunic she had given him. Though she usually wasn't a hugger, the moment ended earlier than she would have liked as Link pulled away and walked to the pot that sat above the small fire.

"Do you want another cup of –"

"Oh, fine," she interrupted as regained her composure. "If I don't then you're going to spend the rest of the day whining about it." She finally caught sight of him in the tunic she had gifted him with. "Look at that. I can get something that even you look good in." Though she wasn't going to vocalize it, the fact that Link was wearing the tunic meant a lot to her. It was like he was accepting her all over again, albeit in as much a roundabout fashion as he had the first time. She found that she didn't actually care though. She was just pleased that he had accepted it, even if he had partially disrobed in the kitchen (a problem they had already talked about).

Link grinned, ladling more of the drink into her mug as she folded the scarf back up carefully, afraid that stressing it in any capacity would destroy it. Before she sat back down at the table, she set her gift in its box and took it back to their room, setting it on her vanity. While there, she took a few moments to freshen up, making sure that there were no tear stains around her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she left the mirror behind and went to rejoin Link.

If only she could wipe the stupid smile off her face.


	9. Chapter 8

"After they all swam to the top of the falls, I tried climbing up after them, but I fell," Link muttered as he stared into the fire. He wasn't sure why he was telling Revili a story from his childhood, but he supposed it couldn't do any harm. After all, she already thought of him as a reckless idiot. "Mipha had stayed behind to make sure I was okay…"

"And she healed you," Revili finished as she poked at the fire with a stick. Her emerald eyes were locked on the fire, reflecting the light even as it danced across her face. "You know," she sighed as she tossed the stick into the fire, "I always thought you would be bad at telling stories, but that was worse than I imagined."

Link sighed. They had certainly been making progress in terms of learning to work together. They still weren't friends, but they certainly spent more time in each other's company then they had at the start of their journey. Despite that, Revili still had her moments when it came to needlessly insulting him.

"What else you got?" she asked as she leaned back and looked at him.

Link shrugged. No matter how short the story he had just told was, it was kind of exhausting to share with someone who he could barely be considered emotionally intimate with. The idea of trying to share any more of his past wasn't a pleasant thought at the moment, especially when the purpose would be to entertain the bored Rito Champion.

"So, now that you have your memories back, what do remember about the other Champions?"

The Hylian Champion frowned as he thought back to the past. While he could remember much of his history with Mipha, the other Champions were still a mystery to him. Truth be told, most of the memories he possessed took place in the Domain, with large gaps existing between departures and arrivals. Even so, he had a few stray thoughts and conversations with Mipha and her father concerning the other Champions.

After Mipha, Link remembered Daruk being his favorite ally. The why was still a mystery to him, though he could recall Mipha commenting on his boisterous, yet honest nature. Perhaps such qualities appealed to him. Maybe he hadn't had to wonder what was on Daruk's mind like he did Revili's.

From what little he knew of Urbosa, the Gerudo Champion, he had mixed feelings toward the woman. The why was missing, but he knew that somehow, she had possessed the ability to make both himself and Mipha uncomfortable. There had been many conversations with awkward silences and a general air of embarrassment that somehow related back to the Gerudo Champion.

Oddly enough, he remembered little of Revili as well. He had expected memories of the Rito Champion to begin surfacing as well, seeing as returning to Zora's Domain had been enough to bring back his memories of Mipha. However, it seemed that his other memories were determined to remain under whatever lock and key his mind was employing. Had it been a few short weeks ago, he wouldn't have cared too much that he still didn't have any recollections involving Revili. All he really knew was that he had not cared much for her, a sentiment that Mipha had agreed with, though she'd advised him to be patient with the Rito, as was her way. She had remembered the water even where Revili was concerned.

Despite still mourning Mipha's loss, Link had decided that he would do his best to honor her memory by being patient with Revili. While Mipha had been a warrior in practice, her heart had been one of healing. Keeping that at the forefront of his mind, he reasoned she would rather he honored her by having his ally's back, physically and emotionally, rather than by cutting Ganon down. He was well aware that she wanted the Calamity to be stopped; however, he knew her too well to believe that defeating Ganon was her only hope for Revili, Zelda, and most importantly himself. She want them to live and thrive even after they had fulfilled their duty.

Thankfully, setting a goal ahead of him made it easier for him to rise in the morning. It was something he could control in some regard, which motivated him. While not every aspect of his and Revili's relationship was within his control, he was determined to make the most of what he could do. It wasn't much, but it was still one more thing to cling to.

"We're getting close to Death Mountain," Revili said suddenly as her eyes lighted on him. "Think you'll be able to handle another Divine Beast?"

Link nodded absently as he turned his gaze to the fire. So far, the loss he had experienced had nearly crushed him, but he was determined to carry on. He hadn't been prepared to learn about Mipha, but now he better understood what lay on the road ahead. As odd as the thought struck him, there was some comfort in having some idea of what was to come. It made everything more grounded, even if it was painful.

"Good," the Rito Champion replied quietly.

He glanced back at her, raising a brow in question.

"What?... Look, it's not like I actually care about your feelings or anything. I just want to know whether or not you'll be reliable."

"I can handle it."

"If you say so," she grumbled. She sighed as her eyes returned to the fire. "So you don't know anything about Daruk, huh?"

"All I remember was he was loud… really loud."

"Fantastic," the Rito Champion groaned as she threw her head back. "Why couldn't any of you be normal?"

Link stared at her, bemused by the question. He was willing to accept that he may not have been what most would deem as the norm, but what made the Rito Champion think she was normal? As far as he could see, she was just as much an oddity as he. To be fair, he could count the number of other Ritos they had encountered on one hand. Still, other Hylians and Zora found Revili to be an unpleasant oddity as she was just as acerbic, perhaps even moreso, with strangers.

"Oh well, I suppose he couldn't have been any worse than you."

Link rolled his eyes at the less than subtle jab. Sometimes, he wondered if she became so bored at times that she used such comments to start a squabble. It would certainly explain a lot.

"What? Have something to say?"

"Yep."

"Well… out with it then."

"You have first watch." Without another word, Link bundled up a tunic, set it beneath his head as he lay down, smirking as he saw the indignance in her emerald eyes. He was content to let her have whatever victory she had just taken, but that didn't mean he was going to take it like some wounded dog.

The Hylian Champion smirked again as he heard Revili grumbling quietly as she got to her feet. Sometimes, it was nice to have the last word.

* * *

Dread was something that was new to the Rito Champion. Since her awakening, she had experienced loss, confusion, stress, anger, worry, and even fear. Dread, however, was something entirely new and unpleasant. It gnawed at her restlessly, eating away at her insides with every passing day. At the same time, it weighed more heavily upon her with every step, making her question whether or not she could continue. Looking up at the harsh red, smoking peak that was their destination only compounded that weight.

"You okay?" Link asked, his normally cool blue eyes warm with concern.

"Fine," she grunted, suppressing the urge to snap as she normally would. As much as the question irritated her, seeing as even she knew that she was visibly out of sorts, she found that she didn't actually want to create a rift between them right then. Though she hated to admit it, the Hylian had grown on her a bit. His quiet but steadfast nature was something she had come to rely on, both when it came to fights as well as normal everyday affairs. With the time they had spent around the various Hylians on their way to and from Zora's Domain, Revili had come to notice that Link was far from the standard for their race. Many of them were easily stressed out by dangerous situations, often panicking during something as simple as a Bokoblin attack. Even the ones that could remain cool under pressure proved to be less competent than Link. That was to say nothing of their inability to cook as well. Sure, they could throw together some hack-job slop, but she had yet to meet anyone that could match Link's culinary expertise.

Of course, there was another reason to keep him around. The Hylian, for all of his shortcomings, was somehow becoming necessary to maintain her emotional state. While he wasn't one to sit and talk about feelings, something she could appreciate, he would often give her a look that said he understood her frustrations, anxieties, and fears. He may not have shown any of it, but the fact that he could give her a knowing look, followed by a simple nod was something she had come to rely on. He still listened silently whenever she went on one of her rants, but the quiet understanding and acceptance was something she found herself relying on more and more. Especially since they had learned of Mipha's death.

Before that time, she had never noticed how involved Link had been in her and other's lives. It was never anything big, but things like cooking, cleaning, hunting, gathering, and doing small odd jobs to brighten people's days or help them out of a difficult situation. During the worst of his grief, however, he had turned so far inward that several pleas for help had gone by unheard, and Revili had been forced to take on the majority of the chores that accompanied their journey, including the cooking.

Just the thought of her pitiful attempts had been enough to stop her complaints about anything the Hylian had made. Apparently, Link had also had enough of it as well, as it only took a few days before he wrestled back the reins of the pot. Thankfully, a combination of that and her decision to start assigning him tasks had been enough to bring most him back from wherever he had wandered off to. Of course, she could still see something was missing.

She found herself hoping that he would rediscover that lost part of himself someday.

The Rito Champion shook the thoughts off as she noticed Link's eyes were still on her. Why she had decided now was an appropriate time to reflect on Link's emotional state was lost on her. "What?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Maybe it was because Link was finally returning to some sense of normal.

He continued staring at her, much to her chagrin.

"I said it's nothing." Maybe it was because she was worried he would retreat inward yet again after the loss that was potentially ahead of them.

Still, the blue eyes refused to look away. There was no way she was getting out of this.

"I'm just not looking forward to what we'll find on Rudania, okay?!" she snapped. The possibility she was the least willing to admit was that she would find significant loss on the heights of Death Mountain. She hadn't been particularly close to Mipha, but that didn't mean that she hadn't had friends among the other Champions. She found herself ashamed of hoping that she hadn't been close to any if only to avoid the ordeal that Link still found himself in. Perhaps time would heal the wounds, but time wouldn't bring the ones they lost back either.

Link regarded her, silent and stoic as always; however, there was only a second before his eyes crinkled in dissatisfaction and he frowned down at the ground below him. "I'm not either."

"What were you two friends as well?" Now, it was her turn to stare at him.

"Think so," he replied, sounding almost glum. He let out a sigh before resuming eye contact with her. "Sometimes, I wish it was someone else who had to save the world."

Revili stopped dead in her tracks at his words. It was unusual for him to complain, but that in and of itself wasn't what caused her to stop. In the short few months she had known him, he hadn't once uttered a word to make her think that he was dissatisfied with his role in everything, yet here he was, saying that he didn't want to be that person. "What…?" She found the question sounded stupid, however, she could think of nothing else to ask.

"Being the heroes means we lose a lot," he answered dully. "Friends, family, our lives. Even if we don't die, we'll have to live with the memories…"

"So, why keep going?"

"Because if I don't, someone else will have to. I don't want this, but I don't want to shove this on anyone else," he replied, something like conviction almost coming through in his tone. "Besides, I have a friend that still needs help."

"And how does any of this help me?" Revili asked, finally starting to get a hold of herself again.

"It doesn't," the Hylian Champion replied. "You need to find your own reason to get up in the morning." With that, Link began the still long trek that would lead them to Death Mountain, leaving Revili to lag behind, reflecting on his words.

* * *

 **A/N: School is just the best...**

 **...**

 **At any rate, sorry that this took like four months to update. I would try to promise that I won't take this long again, however, this is the part of the semester where all the research papers are starting to be assigned. Anyway, I am considering using Twitter/Discord to keep you guys up to date if you have questions about how updates are coming along. IF you are interested in such things, you can find the relevant information on my profile page.**

 **At any rate, I hope you all have a good day.**


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